Feather River Levee to Undergo Preventive Repairs

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YUBA CITY -- The Sutter Butte Flood Control Agency voted to request state and federal funds to do preventive repairs along sections of the Feather River levee 12 miles south of Yuba City.

Residents and growers on the west side of the river are concerned about water seeping through the levee. In some cases, small boils can be seen with water flowing into orchards.

Unlike farther north where nearly 40 miles of the western levee has been beefed up with a slurry wall, the 9 miles of the river near the Sacramento County line has yet to be upgraded.

Some attendees at the special flood agency board meeting were concerned that nothing was being done. But inspection teams have been monitoring the seepage 24 hours a day. And even before Wednesday's vote, crews were surveying areas that will be repaired with a berm consisting of gravel and plastic.

Agency engineers say the work is precautionary and that the levee is sound. The work was scheduled for later in the year but was moved up given the water that's flowing down the Feather River from Oroville Reservoir.

The agency board is cognizant of how rumors spread given the confusing messages distributed during the evacuation during the Oroville water release incident. They are telling residents that if they see dump trucks on the move, don't assume there is an emergency or a levee failure. Work could begin as early as Thursday, even before state funding is approved.